Pocket knife



Nov. 6, 1962 3,061,927

O. VON FRANKENBERG UND LUDWIGSDORF POCKET KNIFE Filed March l, 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR ATTORNEYS.`

Nov. 6, 1962 3,061,927

o. voN FRANKENBERG UND LUDwlGsDoRF POCKET KNIFE Filed March 1, 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTORNEYS rates Unit@ 3,061,927 PGCKET KNEE Oswald von Frankenberg und Ludwigsdorf, Landwehrstr. 73, Solingen auf der Hehe, Germany Filed Mar. 1, 1961, Ser. No. 92,496 1 Claim. (Cl. 30-156) This invention relates to a pocket knife and more particularly to a hunting pocket knife having instruments capable of being swung out, such as blades, saws, or the like.

In conventional pocket knives one or more knifeblades are arranged in one single knife box, each in its own compartment together with a retaining spring. These blades are swivel jointed on the front end of the knife box so that, by means of the pressure of the springs, the blades and other instruments of the knife `are kept intact within the box portion. 'Ille retaining'spring of any blade or blades, as well as other instruments of the knife, exerts some pressure at all times, and is held in place by means of rivets.

As is well known, the pocket knives and particularly hunting pocket knives become dirty after they are used for some time; and if the dirt penetrates through the inner grooves of the knife, cleaning vbecomes difficult and often impossible. Especially in the case of hunting pocket knives which are used in cutting wild meat deposits of dirt build up between the springs and in the compartments of the knife-box. Running water may not remove this dirt. After the blades are used for some time, they get very hard to work with; and when open, they do not keep in place, so that the working value of the blades and other parts of the knife diminishes greatly.

It is an object of this invention to devise a pocket knife which can be disassembled easily, cleaned and reassembled without using special instruments and tools.

The main difficulty encountered is the devising of a retaining spring for the knives, which is not only easily releasable, and can be taken out from the knife, but also one that after reassembling the instruments will provide the same tension as before.

Already several kinds of pocket knives exist in which the blades are fastened to but releasable from the handle, whereby the blades can be replaced when broken. In most of these constructions, however, the retaining springs are riveted firmly in the handle portion of the knife and it is necessary to replace the rivets as Well as the blade.

ln an embodiment of the present invention the retaining spring is a separate element and is placed loosely in the knife box so that there will be no lengthwise movement in the base of the knife box. A removable lever arm is suspended on a swivel joint iixed in the knife box such that the lever arm bears against the retaining spring and holds it in place. The lever arm compresses the retaining spring when the lever arm is in its seated position and releases all pressure on the spring in its open position so that the elements may be disassembled and reassembled without contending with pressure from the retaining spring.

Ihe foregoing and other objects, features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following more particular description of preferred embodiments of the invention, as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a side view of a hunting pocket knife in accordance with the invention;

FIG. 2 is a top view of the knife of FIG. l;

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the knife of FIGS. 1 and 2;

7 FIG. 3a 1s a cross-sectional View of a modification of the knife of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view of the knife seen in FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is another longitudinal sectional view of the knife of FIG. l;

FIG. 6 is a top view of the empty knife-case of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a side View of the knife blade of FIG. l;

FIG. 8 is a side view of the sawblade of FIG. 1;

FIG. 9 is a side view of the bolt member used as a swivel-axis for the blade and saw;

FIG. 10 is a side view of a middle-plate member which is placed between the blade and saw to prevent contact of the two parts;

FIG. ll is a side view of the bolt lever;

FIG. 12 is a top view of the bolt lever;

FIG. 13 is a side view of the composite retaining spring made up of three single springs, in which the single springs are cut with distinguishable different angles, to show the contours clearly; and

FIG. 14 is a top view of the composite retaining spring.

The hunting knife shown in the view of FIG. 1 comprises a handle 1, which is made of a singleepart diecast material to form a knife case 2. The handle shells 2a and 2b are riveted on the sides of the knife case 2. On the front end of the knife case there are two jaws Sa and 3b, between which the knife blade 4 and the saw blade 5 can swing open around the swivel axis comprising the screw 6. The blade 4 has a line sawtooth construction near one end, and the saw 5 has a screw lever blade construction on its tip. The sawteeth 5b on blade 5 are made in two opposite rows next to each other to provide a cut both ways. On the lower side of the saw -blade 5, there is a bottle opener 5c. It is clear that instead of the knife blade 4 and the saw blade 5, one could substitute any other swivel-jointed instrument.

FIG. 2 shows how the knife blade 4 and the saw blade 5 lie beside each other in the knife case with relatively thin side walls.

The releasable assembly of the knife blade 4 and the saw blade 5 -between the jaws 3a and 3b can be observed in FIG. 3. Here the screw 6 whose shaft 6a forms the swivel axis of the blade and the saw is only provided with threads 6b on the outer end. The screw can be turned by means of the threads into the jaw at 3b. The ends 4b and 5a' of the blade 4 and the saw S are placed on the smooth shaft 6a of the screw 6. Between these ends and the bottom 2d of the knife, three spring sections 7a, 7b and 7c are placed; and to prevent any friction action between the ends of the knife blades, a middle plate 8 made of brass is placed between the blade ends.

FIG. 3a shows another embodiment of the invention. Here a shaft 9 is mounted on the shaft 6a of the screw 6, which for instance could be pressed in the end of the knife blade 4 and make swivel surfaces for the saw 5.

If one desired to obtain a larger swivel diameter, he could instead of the shaft 9, make the screws 6 have a correspondingly larger diameter. This way, the reassembly of instruments on the swivel joint will be made easier. Besides, a lock-nut 10 can be inserted in the jaw 36, so that the screw 6 can be pulled up from both sides through the jaws 3a and 3b. The slits in the screw 6 and in the lock-nut 10 are so formed, that one can loosen or fasten the screws or the lock-nut with an ordinary coin.

The length wise section in FIG. 4 shows the position of the retaining spring, the underside of which is slightly convex and also the position of the lever arm 18 in the 0 knife case 2, when the blade 4 is completely open and the saw 5 is closed.

The retaining spring 7, consisting of three spring sections, joined together by a joint rivet 7d, has a crossgroove 11 in the middle position, which passes through all three sections. A peg 12 in the knife case 2 is hooked in this groove. The groove 11'and the cross peg 12, both prevent any axial slipping of the retaining' spring inside the knife case. The middle section 76 of the retaining spring 7 has a right-angular lock tip on its front end, with which this section hooks in a flat locking groove -14 of the blade end 46, and so the blade is kept fixed and rm in the swung-out position.

The lever arm 18 has a groove 15 which is open on top and rather right-angular. With this groove, the lever arm is hooked on the cross peg 16 which passes through the knife casing. The cross pcg 16 forces the front end of the lever arm 18 to lie tightly on the backward end of the retaining spring. The lever arm 1S has a trigger cam 17 under -its swivel joint 15 and 16. The cam is shaped like a club, and as shown in FIG. 4 presses the back end of the retaining spring 7 to the base of the knife box 2. The lever arm has an angular tip on the back which is turned up, and whose end is bent horizontally. It braces itself on the b-ack end of the knife box when the lever is in tension. The tip 18b may help, by means of a small recess in the outer side of the end plates, to turn up the lever 18.

FIG. is a representation of the corresponding lengthwise section through the handle 1 of the hunting knife. Here the saw 5 is completely open, so that the front end of the retaining spring lamina 7c can lie on the resting plate 20 of the end 5d of the saw 5, and thereby can hold the open saw firmly in place. The trigger cam 17 of the lever 18 presses the back end of the retaining spring firmly to the base of the knife box.

FIG. 6 shows the peg 12 shaped on the base 2d of the knife box 2 as well as the cross peg 16 for the lever arm 18. The knife box 2 is a one piece diecast material preferably brass, `so that it needs no further internal or external working. After casting it is only necessary to rivet the cross peg 16, and provide certain holes in the jaws 3a and 3b for the swivel axis 6a and also some additional holes 21 for the rivet-fixtures of the handle shells 2a and 2b.

FIG. 7 shows the knife blade 4 with its end 4b, the recess 14 and the flat resting plate 22 where the front end of the retaining spring section is located when the blade is closed.

FIG. 8 shows the saw 5 taken out of the knife with the resting places 2t! and 23 for the front end of the retaining spring which holds the saw 5 in open or closed position firmly.

FIG. 9 sho-ws a component representation of the screw 6 serving as the swivel axis with its smooth shaft 6a and its threads 6b. Next to this screw, there is a nut 6c, which is used when no threads are to come into contact with the jaws of the knife box.

FIG. l0 shows the middle plate 8 which is placed between the ends of the knife blade 4 and the saw 5 and which hooks or clamps between the neighboring end surfaces of the retaining spring sections 7b and 7c in a recess or slit 24 (refer to FIG. 14) by means of the tip 8a.

The lever arm 18 shown in FIGS. 11 and 12 has a Width which corresponds with the inner diameter of the knife box 2. Only the tip 18a is angled out more narrow. This representation shows the formation of the trigger cam 17 more completely. I'he slot 15 enables the lever 18 to be suspended over the cross peg 16.

It would be possible, in a knife with only one blade, to use a one piece retaining spring. Since in a hunting pocket knife a special lock spring is favorable in order to keep the knife blade firmly inthe open position and, since two or more blades or instruments must be provided, use is made of a three part retaining spring consisting of three sections 7a, 7b and 7c held together by the rivet 7d. These Sections can swing beside each other about the rivet 7d. Y

The section 7a shown in FIG. 13 serves to hold the knife blade 4 firmly in the closed position thus the front end of this lamina is made smooth. The second section 7b holds the right angular tip 13 which serves as the lock tip for the open knife blade and clips in the right angular resting 14 in the end 4b of the knife blade 4. The section 7c is smooth on its front end and serves only to hold the saw Stirmly in the opened and closed positions. It is appropriate to mention in FIG. 13 land 14 a cross peg 25 fixed on the middle section 7b in the raised end 26. This peg on the upper edge of the sections when they are at together.

The section 7c lies under the saw v5, which even in the closed position is not firmly stopped, so that it can still be pressed further in the knife box Iby a slight pressure. Saw blade 5 presses at 5e (FIG. 4) on the peg 25 and pushes down the section 7b along with the tip 13 so much in the middle that the right angular tip 13 comes out of the resting 14 at the end 4b of the knife blade 4. 'Ihis way the knife blade 4 in the open position is raised out of locked position so that the knife blade 4 can be closed after the pressure on the saw blade 5.

In order to disassemble this pcoket knife into its basic parts when it has become dirty, the following simple steps are taken: First, the knife blade 4 as well as the saw blade 5, are fiipped open. The lever arm 18 is raised at the end 18b of the tip 18a so that the lever assumes a somewhat vertical position. In this position the pressure of the cam 17 acting on the back end of the retaining spring 7 is released. Also, the spring pressure on the ends of the knife :blade 4 and the saw 5 is cancelled. Later on the lever arm 18 can be removed easily from behind the cross peg 16 in the vertical position then it becomes completely free and can -be cleaned. Since the pressure of the retaining spring 7 is removed lfrom the ends of the knife blade and the saw, the screw 6 can be loosened and pulled out through the jaws of the knife box 2 so far that the knife -blade 4, the saw 5 and the middle plate 8 can lbe pulled out easily from above or front. Later these pieces can be individually cleaned. After that the knife box 2 is turned over and the retaining spring 7 will either come of by itself or can be pushed out from the knife box 2 easily. This completes the disassembly of the pocket knife.

After cleaning the single parts, the retaining spring 7 is pushed from the open front of the box so far inside that the slot 11 rests over the cross peg 12 on the base of the knife whereby the longitudinal motion of the re- .taining spring is prevented. Then the knife blade 4, the middle plate 8 and the saw 5 are so placed together that the holes of these three parts match each other. These three parts are replaced from the top or from the front in the open front end of the knife box. They are pushed in toward the front end of the retaining `spring 7 until they stop. In this position the holes of the three parts get close to the holes made in the jaws 3a and 3b of the knife box so that the screw 6 with its slightly smaller di- -ameter can be inserted. In this'position of the parts, the back end of the slightly curved retaining spring is lifted somewhat. After inserting the vertically held lever arm 18 over the back end 7e of the spring 7, the lever can slip with its slot 15 over the cross peg 16 then the lever 18 is turned up so that its trigger cam 17 presses the back end 7e of the retaining spring 7 on the base 2d of the knife box 2 and, thereby, pushes all the three sections of the retaining spring 7 so that their -front ends press on the ends of the knife blade 4 and the saw 5. Here the cam 17 of the lever 18 goes above a dead point. This cam lies in the final pressure position of the lever 18 (refer to FIGS. 4 and 5) somewhat directly under the middle line of the cross peg 16. The end 18b of lever arm ltip 18a is placed on the upper edge of the back wallV 2c of the knife box 2. Now the saw 5 can be fiipped in the knife box. By means of a slight pressure on the end of the saw 5 the section 7b of the knife blade 4 011. 'the peg 25 can be pushed out in the same Way already described so that this blade also can be ipped back in the imie box.

From the foregoing description it Will be seen that the assembly as veli as the disassembly of the knife is quite simple. The disadvantageous results of the dirt which cannot be removed without much trouble in conventional pocket knives can ybe overcome in the case of these knives even Without usmg many tools.

While the invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to a preferred embodiment thereof, it Will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and details may be made therein Without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

A pocket knife capable of being disassembled for cleaning comprising a unitary case member, a blade member, means for detachably mounting the blade member for operation to and from a `closed position Within tbe case member, a transverse projection Within said case mem ber, a plurality of spring members fastened together for movement about a common pivot point and loosely References Cited in the tile of this patent UNTED STATES PATENTS 19,606 1858 217,623 1879 218,989 1879 527,491 Herrington Oct. 16, 1894 986,334 White et al. Mar. 7, 1911 1,362,142 Rohrer Dec. 14, 1920 1,449,618 Malby Mar. 27, 1923 1,476,030 Doehler et al. Dec. 4, 1923 

